I finally had a good night's sleep, a first in many a months so I decided to celebrate. I got up early, well early, to have a sit in the park. Have a sit I say because all I intended to do was to sit in one of them benches and wait for the Sun to rise, which I did. I just did not plan on having company, which I also did.
I sat languidly on the cold yet thankfully dry metal bench and draped my arms on its back, relishing the shivers that spread all over me in waves. It was pretty dark still, the sky a bruised blue. A ginger cat jumped out of the trash can by my bench and started to rub itself against my legs, yowling for food. I ignored the cat and looked over the tree line, waiting expectantly for sunrise.
"C'mere kitty kitty. C'mere!" A girl had suddenly materialized on my right, she was squatting by the trash can with her hand extended towards the cat currently curled up on my shoes. The cat only came to her when she started making clicking noises. Feeling conscious of myself, I crossed my arms and slouched in my seat. I peered at the girl without turning to look at her.
"Hey, mind if I sit next to you?" Not waiting for an answer, she scooped the cat in her arms and sat on my right. I reluctantly scooted to my left to make room for her. She sat the cat on her lap, scratching its ears. I felt the urge to scratch the stubble on my chin but did not do so.
"Isn't he the cutest little thing?" She cooed.
"It's a she." I said, instantly regretting it.
"Oh really? Can't call him, I mean, her, Tommy then." I turned to look at her and noticed that her eyes are the exact shade of honey brown as her hair, which happened to be the exact same shade of my hair too. Except, instead of smelling like vanilla, mine probably smelt like an ash tray.
"You waiting for someone? You look like you do." I noticed that her eyes strayed towards my hair.
"Just the Sun." I mumbled.
"Your son?"
"The Sun. Big glowing yellow thing that hangs in the sky all day."
"Oh. Why?" Her almond shaped eyes narrowed slightly.
"Just celebrating." I said after a short pause.
The girl burst into laughter, jolting the cat off her lap. She looked even prettier when she laughed. "So am I! I'm celebrating the beginnings of my new beginning. Turning over a new leaf. What are you celebrating?"
"You know, I'm a complete stranger. We're alone and it's quite dark. I might be dangerous." I did not feel like sharing my long awaited triumph over insomnia with her.
"Are you?" Her mouth thinned, her honey eyes stopped smiling.
"I might be." I tried to look darkly at her, as I wondered what a 'dark' look is supposed to look like.
"Nah, you're just some disheveled good looking chap looking quite disgruntled. By me. I'm the dangerous one." She put her hands on the back of her head and looked upwards. Something in her voice made me uncomfortable.
It was then that I glimpsed the tell-tale spot of glare over the horizon. The sky grew lighter, slowly glowing into the familiar light blue. I stood up and stepped out of my shoes. I crossed the jogging path towards the damp grass. Warmth seeped into my fingertips and I could hear birds chirping their bubbly hellos. The morning dew made the grass glitter. I closed my eyes and felt myself smile.
Then it happened. The honey-haired, honey-eyed girl walked up to me and shot me twice in the leg. I crumpled into a heap, gasping for breath. I felt her hands reaching for my wallet inside my jacket and slipped my watch off my wrist. She even took my shoes. After that, the scent of vanilla nauseates me and I never slept good again. Ever.
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Note: I can't sleep right now. *sigh*
